


The Fire That Keeps On Burning

by obsessiveninja



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Eventual Romance, Friendship, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-10-08 19:06:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10394070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obsessiveninja/pseuds/obsessiveninja
Summary: "I feel like this year is really about, like, the year of just realising stuff." - Kylie Jenner. After having achieved everything he thought he ever wanted, Ash spends a year-long journey revisiting his past. This forces him to rethink things. For the 20th anniversary of the Pokemon anime.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> I normally envision Ash to be pretty well settled at age 30, but that wasn't the story I wanted to write. A lot of the scenarios that come up in this are ones that directly contradict my headcanons, or things I don't even like seeing in other stories. But the themes that this explores are ones that have been really important to me, personally, so it was essential for me to write this. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did creating it! :)
> 
> Shippings include pokeshipping, wishfulshipping, handymanshipping, constestshipping, luckshipping, one-sided amourshipping and every Dawn ship you can think of.
> 
> Happy 20th anniversary!

It was high in the afternoon when he first caught sight of Pallet Town. It warmed his chest as he soaked it in – the houses dotting large, green fields, the road leading up to Professor Oak's windmill, and a glimpse of the glittering blue ocean that met Pallet Beach. He was glad that he still remembered it so perfectly, despite having not visited in three years.

"Well, Pikachu?" He looked to his partner perched on his shoulder, "We're finally home."

"Pikachu," the pokémon breathed. Ash could relate. The older he got and the further he travelled or settled away from Pallet Town, the more coming back would take his breath away. Especially lately, after living in Lumiose City for so long. City life, he'd come to realise, would never suit him.

"I'm almost tempted to run all the way home," Ash thought out loud. Like he used to when he was a kid and still a travelling trainer. Especially when he saw his mother's home, he'd get so excited at the thought of his mother's cooking that he'd let his body get the better of him.

"Pika…"

"Like you've got anything to complain about! You've been sitting on my shoulder this whole time."

"Pikachu!"

"Fine. Freeloader."

It wasn't like Ash was going to run anyway. He wanted to prolong his walk as much as possible, because if he was being honest, he was a little scared. It was a long time since he'd seen a lot of his friends and family back home, and while they were no doubt caught up on his whereabouts thanks to Delia, he still wasn't sure how they'd react. Tracey and Daisy had been with his parents at the Orange Islands the last time he'd visited, so he didn't even get to meet their kids. Gary had been doing some on-site research elsewhere, so he only really saw his mother. He hoped they were all here this time.

He hadn't really called ahead to let them know he was coming.

The dirt path leading up to and past his mother's house hadn't changed at all, except for the car. He was pleased to see it; it was small and unassuming, but that was all his mom needed anyway. He'd pushed her to get one after he paid off the mortgage so that she wasn't stuck at home all day. The flowery bush just opposite the road was still there – what was it called? Baby's Breath? He could never remember the name. It didn't matter, he decided, as he stooped over to gather a bunch in his hand. Pikachu jumped off of his shoulder and scurried over to the letterbox.

"What've we got, buddy?" Ash asked after he was done, when Pikachu jumped back on his shoulder. The mouse shuffled through each envelope, giving Ash enough time to look at them. "Junk mail, water bill, electricity bill, a letter? Oh, that's just from her friend down the road."

It was nothing interesting, so Ash decided to stop stalling and open the door. It was unlocked as usual; there was no need to keep your house locked in a place like Pallet Town.

"Mom?" he called as soon as he stepped in. He could hear pots and pans clanging in the kitchen, so she probably couldn't hear him.

"Guess we're heading into the kitchen," he muttered, and turned to take off his shoes. But before he could do anything, he was slapped twice across the face.

"OW! What the hell?!"

"Mime!" Mr Mime recoiled before him and quickly grabbed for Ash's cheeks, rubbing them gently as if to soothe them.

"Ash!" His mother finally came out of the kitchen and started running towards him. He met her halfway and pulled her into the bear hug of a lifetime. "Oh, my little boy's home! Mr Mime must not have recognised you under that beard!"

"I'm not really a little boy anymore…" he groaned, while Pikachu giggled on his shoulder.

"I know, but," she pulled away, but kept her arms firmly around his waist, "You're always going to be my baby. Even if you're nearly a foot taller than me." She placed her hands on her hips. "But you didn't tell me you were coming home!"

"I wanted to surprise you." He finally pulled away and let Pikachu leap into Delia's arms for his own set of cuddles. He handed her the bouquet of flowers he was holding, and watched her expression relax. "I would've just hung out at Professor Oak's if you weren't home."

"Ash, there are lovely, but did you get these from the bush across the road?" He grinned sheepishly, and Delia shook her head. "I suppose that doesn't matter. It's wonderful to see you! Especially now, after you've started travelling again. Serena told me you hadn't dropped by since you left Kalos."

Ash's smile dropped slightly. "I still call. I guess things got a little crazy the past year."

"I suppose some things never change." He noticed his mother's smile didn't quite reach her eyes, but he decided not to bring it up.

"You weren't busy, were you?"

"Of course not! Little old me is never busy, especially not on a Sunday afternoon. You know how much I like having those to myself. Unless it's you, of course."

"And Mimey," Ash pointed out.

His mom chuckled, "And Mimey. Say, sweetie, are you hungry?"

"Yes," he breathed, sending Delia into a fit of giggles. He could almost taste her Pallet noodle special, and from the look on Pikachu's face, he could probably taste it too.

"You're probably tired from your journey, right?" his mother asked, turning around to head into the kitchen. "You can go ahead and sleep in your old room. If you can still fit – I haven't really changed the bed. You can take my room if it's too small for you."

"Nah, I want to spend time with you first." Ash wrapped an arm around her shoulder and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I missed you a lot."

"Then find me a vase to put these in. And shave that mess off of your face!" Delia stood on her tiptoes and placed a light kiss on his nose, and smiled warmly up at him in a way that emphasized the new smile crinkles around her eyes – ones Ash hadn't even noticed before. "And I missed you too, Ash."

...

Ash took a short nap after eating and catching up with his mom and Mimey, which went well into the evening. He would've slept longer if it was more comfortable, but he only just fit into his bed. His head touched the wooden headboard and his feet stuck out the other end. He could barely stretch without half of him falling off. Pikachu was fine – he went to rest comfortably on Ash's old Snorlax doll after seeing there wasn't enough room on the bed.

Ash decided against waking him up before trudging downstairs. In the living room, his mother sat on their couch reading a magazine. The smell of her famous noodle soup came wafting in from the kitchen.

"You look nice. What's the occasion?"

"I called Professor Oak to tell him you were back, so Gary's coming over." Delia placed the magazine on her lap and smiled up at him. "He can't really make the trip down himself anymore."

Ash grinned internally. Professor Oak was in his eighties now, and wasn't _supposed_ to walk so much, but the old man never let that stop him. He supposed he would avoid a trip if it meant his mother's anger, however.

"Is Tracey coming?"

"No, he and the family are in Viridian for his exhibition. But they should be home tomorrow. Oh!" She clapped her hands together, "You haven't met their youngest, have you?"

Ash shook his head. "A girl, right? With some flower name."

"It's Clover. You remember all their names, I hope? Clover, Angelo and Ivy?"

Ash snorted, and she furrowed her brow. "What?"

"Nothing."

He could never forget Ivy, or the story behind her name. Tracey and Daisy were still stuck on what to call their first child, and Misty had convinced them that Ivy was perfect. They regretted the decision as soon as they announced it to Brock. Thankfully Misty had caught it all on camera so he could be a part of the action.

"When is Gary getting here?" Ash asked before his mother could question the grin on his face.

"Soon! He should be here about…"

Right on cue, the door burst open. Ash had to roll his eyes at Gary's timing.

"Mrs K!" Gary boomed, "You look stunning. Did you do something with your hair?"

"Oh Gary!" his mom giggled, and Ash bristled. "You always were a sweet talker. I thought I asked you to start calling me Delia.

"Sorry, sorry. Force of habit. But seriously, you look especially beautiful today. What's your routine?"

"I'd appreciate it if you stopped flirting with my mother, Gary," Ash grunted, stepping into the other man's view.

"Ash, is that how you greet your guests?"

"Aw, it's okay." Gary grinned, "Ashy-boy's just jealous because he's a taken man, and I can hit on whoever I want."

"You cannot _hit on_ whoever you want," Delia said sternly, and Gary stood at attention.

"Of course not!"

"Hmm." Delia crossed her arms. "Well, come on in! I assume you want some coffee? Black with no sugar?"

"Yeah, thanks." Delia vacated the living room, and Gary pulled Ash in for a hug. "It's been a long time, Ash."

"It's good to see you again," Ash agreed, patting his friend on the back. "I missed you the last time."

Gary pulled away, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wanted to make it, but I was too close to finding Mew." He frowned. "Or at least, I thought I was."

"Have you tried the forest near Cameran Palace?"

Gary's arm went slack as he stared at Ash in shock, but he shook it off soon after. "Should've known you of all people would know where to find a legendary pokémon. You wouldn't happen to know about Ho-Oh too, would you? That's who I'm researching now."

Ash chuckled, shaking his head. "Sorry."

"Still useless when it counts, huh?" Gary laughed as he dodged Ash's fist. "Anyway, how long are you in Pallet this time? I heard you haven't been back home in a while. Kalos must miss you."

The mention of Kalos had an almost immediate effect on Ash – his shoulders had sunk and his hand had shoved themselves into his pockets. He could almost hear Pikachu's concerned "chu" despite the pokémon not even being there. He sneaked a look at Gary's raised eyebrow and cursed himself for being so transparent.

"Here's your coffee, Gary," his mother called out, walking into the hallway. "And I made that Pallet noodle special you really like, since you're staying for dinner." She stopped short when she saw them. "Ash? Sweetie, are you alright?"

"Hey, Mrs – Delia?" Gary slapped a heavy arm on Ash's shoulder, almost causing him to flinch. "Is it cool if I borrow Ash after dinner?"

...

Gary's friend still hadn't shown up by the fourth bourbon. Or was it the fifth? Gary kept buying and Ash wasn't keeping count. All he knew was that he was clearly more buzzed than Gary was, but that probably had something to do with the fact that Ash hadn't had a drink since he was twenty one.

He'd even expected to do shots when they walked in. _Shots_.

"Shots, Ash? What are you, a teenage girl?" Gary had asked, and Ash was about to point out that Gary had no problem with taking shots when they were younger, despite him never having been a teenage girl, but Gary had already moved on to another topic. Which was just typical. He always had to have the last word.

Ash held his empty glass to his face. The bar was hot and stuffy, and the glass felt cool against his skin. "Who's your friend again?"

"I told ya, you've met them." Gary held a finger up at the bartender to order another round."

"That doesn't mean I'm gonna remember them," Ash pointed out, jabbing his glass in Gary's direction and fumbling when a block of ice almost fell out onto his lap.

"You'll definitely know her."

"Oh, so it's a _her!_ " Ash rubbed his chin, which eventually led to scratching at his chin because he'd done a terrible job of shaving his beard off and it was bugging him.

"Damn! And that was a crucial detail too."

"Who is she?"

"She's a _babe_."

Ash rolled his eyes. "Gary, if it's one of your old cheerleaders –"

"It's not –"

"And if you're trying to set me up with someone –"

Gary scoffed. "Why would I set you up with someone when I could hook up with her myself? 'Sides, like anyone would wanna go home with _you_ when _I'm_ around."

"I don't want to go home with anyone except myself."

"I should've known I'd stumble into a weird conversation with you around, Oak." Ash turned around to the source of a new voice and found a vaguely familiar head of messy red hair.

"I wouldn't mind going home with her," Ash mumbled before he could place who she was, though he ended up being louder than he thought he was. She had clearly heard him, and when he realised that the 'she' in question was actually Misty, he wanted to sink into his seat until he disappeared.

Gary snorted long and hard. "I don't know whether to laugh at him or at the fact that you're wearing mom jeans, Misty."

Misty scowled at both of them, face flushed and arms crossed. "I just threw something on. I didn't realise I was supposed to dress nice."

"I think it's very you," Ash offered shyly, and immediately regretted opening his mouth for the second time that night when she glared at him.

"I mean, it suits you," Gary agreed, "But it'd look better on Ash's bedroom floor."

Ash slammed his head against the counter of the bar, and from the corner of his eye watched Misty rub her temples. "Okay, what round are you guys on?"

Ash answered "four or five" while Gary answered "six". Misty groaned. "And when did you start?"

"Right before we called you."

"That was half an hour ago!"

The bartender chose that moment to place their next two bourbons down. Ash sat up, ready to get more of the cool liquid into his system. He saw Misty starting to protest so he took a gulp before she could say anything, and Gary lifted a finger.

"You're not here to babysit, you're just our designated driver. Besides, Ashy-boy's had a rough day."

"More like a rough past eight years," Ash muttered under his breath.

Misty sat down on a stool next to him, and Ash couldn't stand the concerned look she was giving him. It was like she actually cared, and that was giving him ideas. "What happened?"

Ash took another swig of his drink, which was now already half empty. "Nothing happened. Being a pokémon master sucks. I don't really wanna talk about it."

"I've been trying to get him to drink until he spills," Gary explained.

Misty rolled her eyes. "That's the best way to go about this? Really?"

"Well even if he doesn't, it's cathartic," Gary mumbled into his glass.

Misty sighed. "Is that why you haven't returned to Kalos for so long, Ash?"

"I'm on hiatus," he murmured.

"Your hiatus was meant to last two months. You've been gone a year."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I don't think alcohol's going to do it, Gary."

"We're not leaving till he's getting wrecked." Gary downed a third of his glass. "I didn't ask you here to interrupt my therapy session, Misty!"

"Wha –" Misty stood up, her face fuming. "The nerve! I came all the way out here on my night off – and therapy? Are you serious?!"

"You're really hot when you're mad," Ash blurted out. His eyes widened when he noticed Misty's startled face turn to him. "Oh, did I say that out loud? Whoopsies." Ash was ready to scull the rest of his liquor when he felt a few drops fall on his knee, courtesy of Gary spitting out some of his drink. "Dude!"

"What kind of grown man says 'whoopsies'?"

"Any grown man?" Ash sneered at his former rival before turning to his best friend, not fully registering the fact that she had her head in her hands. "Did you see what he just did?"

"At least buy me a beer," she said dryly.

Gary lifted a finger in the general direction of the bartender. "One glass of your strongest tequila for the lady –"

"I said I wanted a beer. I'm not drinking that, I have to drive!"

"– In that corner over there." Gary pointed at a girl in a short skirt standing alone at the counter on the other end of the room. "Misty, there's no way I'm buying you a drink. That's what you have Ash for."

Ash watched Gary saunter off for a while before turning his attention back to Misty, who hadn't stopped glaring at the other man.

"I don't mind buying you a beer," Ash told her. He flinched when she turned her glare at him.

"If you think that's going to get me in bed with you, you've got another thing coming."

"I can't go to bed with you. I have a girlfriend."

"I was wondering when you would remember that." She placed both of her elbows on the counter and pinched the bridge of her nose. Ash was used to seeing her with bunched up shoulders and gritted teeth over the years, especially when he was the cause. Normally he felt a mix of things – a sense of victory, a bit of excitement, and only a tiny hint of guilt. Now he just felt sad.

"I'm sorry I pissed you off."

When Misty looked back at him, her expression had softened, and he couldn't _stand_ it. "It's not your fault, Ash. Gary shouldn't be encouraging you to drown your problems in alcohol. I know you don't do that on a daily basis." She paused. "I'm a little concerned that that's the first thing Gary thought of to help."

"Yeah, you should probably send Gary to therapy."

She chuckled, "You actually sound smarter when you're drunk. How does that work?"

"I'm actually a genie."

"A genie?"

Ash scrunched his face together. "…Genius. But I guess genies would have to be geniuses if they can make all your wishes come true."

"I take back what I said."

Ash placed the empty glass against his nose, leaning back into his stool. "Do you ever miss me?"

She shot him a look. "What?"

"You're my best friend. I miss you a lot."

She stared at him through narrowed eyes before looking away. "Of course I miss you, Ash."

"But you never call me!"

"You never call me either."

"Because I thought you were mad at me."

"Why would you think I was mad at you?"

Ash slid the glass up to his forehead and closed his eyes. "I'unno. Maybe I did something."

Misty reached over, taking the glass from his face and placing it on her other side. "You haven't done anything wrong. We're terrible at keeping in touch, alright? We're both pretty busy lately."

Ash quirked an eyebrow. "You didn't come to my engagement party."

Misty froze for a second, before pulling away from his gaze and turning around in her seat. "Like I said, busy. I would have loved to be there, but …" She shrugged. Ash wanted to tell her he didn't believe her, but some small, stupid, sober part of his brain was keeping his lips sealed.

"To be frank," she continued, "I'm too tired to talk to anyone on most days. Or travel, or anything."

He took this as an opportunity to relieve the tension, giving her a watery grin. "Really? Why couldn't you be like that when we were travelling and I couldn't get you to shut up?"

Misty threw a punch at his shoulder, which made Ash yelp out in pain. The alcohol heightened any physical contact he experienced. Or was it the age? Maybe both.

"I don't even like this whole bar thing," Ash grumbled. Misty pulled her stool closer to him and rested her chin in her hands.

"Then why are you still drinking?"

"Because it's hot." Although having Misty around was making him feel much hotter under the collar than the bar itself. But he wasn't going to tell her that.

Or had he told her already? "Did I say that out loud?"

"What, that it's hot? Yeah, you did. It's pretty stuffy in here."

"Oh yeah. Stuffy. Yeah, it's real stuffy in here."

"I don't think I want to know what you were really thinking, Ash."

"You definitely don't."

"Why not?" Gary's unwelcome voice asked as he took his old seat next to Ash, "Honesty is always the best policy."

Misty grinned, "What happened to your nightly conquest?"

The question immediately destroyed Gary's smug expression. He even pouted, much to Ash's delight – just like a toddler. "She was dumb. Like twenty, or something."

Ash nodded. "She said you were too old, didn't she?"

Gary spluttered and Misty burst into beautiful chiming peals of laughter. Ash felt a sense of accomplishment at both sights – it was like he was seeing some lifelong subconscious dream finally come to fruit, him embarrassing Gary and making Misty laugh.

"That was a good one," Misty heaved, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

"Whatever." Gary shifted in his seat. "Can we go home? I'm done here."

"Hey!" Ash complained, "I thought this drinks thing was for me!"

"About time, too." Misty rose out of her seat and stretched her elbows behind her back. "You guys have clearly drunk enough."

"And I was going to buy you a beer, too," Ash added quietly.

Gary wiggled an eyebrow. "Did I interrupt something?"

"No." Misty gave them both a light slap on the arm. "C'mon, let's get you boys home."

...

Ash woke up to the sun shining through his window, the pidgey singing and Pikachu snoozing comfortable atop his stomach.

And he felt like shit.

"Are you awake, Ash?" his mother called very, very loudly from what sounded like underwater. Confused, he attempted to stick his head into the air, and saw her standing in the doorway – definitely not right next to his ear and not anywhere near any water.

"I am now," Ash wanted to say, but what came out of his mouth was a series of grumbles. He frowned when Delia started laughing.

"Oh honey, you know getting drunk in your thirties is a bad idea. That hangover is going to last a few days, I'm afraid."

"Aren't you mad?" This time somewhat coherent – even if his voice was deeper than he was used to – he lifted himself up slowly, disturbing Pikachu's sleep. After a string of curses from the pokémon, the critter crawled up to Ash's pillow to rest there.

_There go my chances of going back to sleep,_ Ash thought.

"I can't be mad at your age, can I? You're an adult. You're responsible for your own choices." She crossed her arms. "Though I do hope this won't become a regular occurrence."

"It definitely won't." He slid down his bed and its ladder, but his knees buckled upon landing and he found himself face first on the floor.

"Are you alright?!" his mother gasped, but Ash barely heard it over the sound of his own stomach churning. It twisted in a strange way that sent a terrible taste up to his throat and –

"Bathroom," he growled, and got to his feet and ran. The feeling of hurling his guts into the toilet bowl, combined with a nasty, throbbing headache that only got worse as time wore on, made him feel even more like shit. His only solace was his mother rubbing his back in soothing circular motions.

When he stood up to flush the toilet, his every muscle felt sore. He felt like he'd tried to climb Mt Silver in an hour, and then jump right off of it. "I'm never drinking again," he groaned.

Delia giggled, "That's my boy! Do you want me to bring you breakfast in bed? I made sausages and pancakes and scrambled eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches and egg noodle soup."

Ash placed a sloppy kiss on her forehead, which made Delia wince. "Love you, mom, but I think I can make it downstairs okay."

"If you say so, but please brush your teeth first."

Ash did as he was told and even went the extra mile and threw a quick shower. He threw up again halfway through it, and no doubt he'd throw up after breakfast too, but at least he wouldn't smell terrible. He tried waking Pikachu up, but not even the temptation of ketchup would rouse him; he'd spent all of the past evening with Gary and Tracey's pokémon at the lab, and it looked like he'd really tired himself out.

He trudged downstairs and into the kitchen – with great difficulty – to find his mother setting multiple plates of everything she had promised and Misty watching her, one eyebrow raised and a mug of coffee halfway to her lips. Or away from it. He didn't really care.

He was glad to see her, but a little anxious at the same time. Last night was the first time he talked to her in years, and his time in the bathroom had slowly brought back some hazy memories of him trying to hit on her, like he often saw Bonnie or Brock do to other girls at bars and big parties. It wasn't quite Full Brock, but it was close enough as far as Ash was concerned; he never intentionally flirted with _anyone_. Not to mention his current state was a mess – his hair a frizzy tangle from the shower, and dark bags under his eyes that wouldn't leave no matter how much water he splashed onto his face.

"Water and hydrodol?" Misty asked when he practically collapsed into his seat. She popped a full glass of water and a pill down in front of him before he could even respond. He didn't mind, though, popping the medicine into his mouth and greedily downing the whole glass. His mother ruffled his head.

"I'm gardening out the back, so you two yell if you need me!" she chirped, before disappearing out the back door. From the window, Ash could see that Mimey was already in the garden waiting for her.

"Morning," he grunted at Misty, before digging into his pancakes.

"Good morning," Misty replied. He was acutely aware of her narrowed eyes, her pursed lips and the long finger tapping against her jawbone. Her hair was still mussed from having woken up, and she was wearing an old pair of pajamas of his from when he was in his later teens. Probably lent to her by Delia.

"How come you stayed here?"

"Your mom offered." Misty reached for a nearby jug of water when she noticed his gaze flick to the empty glass, and she poured him another one. "I was supposed to stay at Tracey and Daisy's, but I forgot he had his exhibition last night. And the spare key Daisy promised wasn't where she said it would be. I'd rather be here than at the lab."

"You and my mom are still close, huh?"

Misty snorted. "Of course we are. I got close to her when you _weren't_ around. That's not going to change, considering you're still never home."

Ash paused his chewing for a moment. It seemed like it could be a loaded statement, but she said it as if it didn't matter. And not in that passive-aggressive way he'd so often seen her use, but in a way that suggested she genuinely didn't care.

He wasn't sure if that was worse.

"I'm busy," he started after he swallowed, "I just –"

Misty held a hand up. "We had this discussion last night, remember?" She squinted at him. "Do you remember?"

He sighed. "Yep."

"Good. So I've been visiting much less often than I used to."

"Huh." She was being strangely nice. She wasn't even teasing him; she was just being…pleasant. It was unsettling.

Because he knew Misty would only act like that if she thought he was having a tough time. And if so, how did she _know_?

Deciding he needed to stop thinking so much, he reached for a sausage and bit half of it off in one go. "How come Gary called you to drive us home? Do you guys keep in touch or something?"

"Oh jeez." Misty rolled her eyes. "Seriously? Yeah, Ash, we're friends. But he called me because it was my night off, and because he was taking _you_ out for drinks." She pointed a finger at him. "Because you have some major issues. You don't have to get so jealous."

"I'm not jealous," Ash replied far too quickly, earning an incredulous look from her. Alright, maybe he _was_ a little jealous, but it wasn't because of what she thought. It was weird seeing all the people that he'd introduced to each other bonding and moving out without him. It was strange enough finding out that Misty had become good friends with his mom. There had been a pang in his chest when he heard them swap inside jokes that meant nothing to him. And now Misty was probably doing that with Gary?

It was a complex and complete enough reason to be jealous as is, and therefore it definitely wasn't what Misty thought.

And what Misty thought irked him, since it definitely wasn't true.

"Sure you aren't." She rested her chin on a fist, and rested her elbow on the table. "How's the wife?"

"She's _not_ my wife," Ash snapped, and immediately froze when he realised what he'd said. He was glad his mother wasn't around, for she'd have skinned him alive for speaking like that about Serena. "Er…well she's _not_ …I mean, we're engaged so she's not technically my wife – and I think I want to end it because I don't think I was really in love with her in the first place, but I guess that's not what you were asking…"

Ash trailed off, and looked back at Misty to see her staring at him incredulously. She blinked once, then twice, and finally looked away to clear her throat. "Okay," she exhaled, "You're going to have to start from the beginning and catch me up here."


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm supposed to get this finished by the end of the week, but it keeps getting longer and longer! This particular chapter contains wishfulshipping and a lot more amourshipping than the rest of the story will. And once again, no Serena bashing in this fic.

By nearly five in the morning, Ash had given up trying to go back to sleep. He'd been up for an hour and a half, and he had no idea why. He wasn't woken up by a nightmare, and there wasn't anything to be especially anxious about. He was just…tired of sleeping.

It was a growing pattern over the past few years. Since he started travelling, Ash had never had a problem with sleeping too much or too little unless he had an important battle coming up. But lately it was getting confusing. No matter how many distractions he turned off before bed, he still couldn't get a good night's sleep – but when he was awake, he didn't want to get out of bed either. His body felt sluggish, and he barely had the energy for anything anymore. And he wouldn't have cared as much if the habit hadn't spread to Pikachu too. The little mouse would often wake to ask his trainer what was wrong, as if he could sense it. It made Ash feel terrible.

It wasn't just the sleeping, either. The rest of Ash's pokémon stayed in a paddock near Santalune City, but Pikachu remained with him in his inner city penthouse. Apart from the occasional exhibition match with Champions from other regions, and sparring with Clemont and Bonnie, he rarely ever got to stretch his legs. He was _bored_.

And that made Ash feel terrible too.

A shrill alarm started ringing, and Ash immediately screwed his eyes shut, pretending he was asleep. He felt Pikachu stir somewhere near his knee, and Serena whine to his left as his blanket started slipping away from him. The ringing stopped, and the room was left in relative silence for a minute – all he heard were the rustles and cracks her body made as she sat up in bed and rolled the kinks out of her shoulders. He didn't have to be looking at her to tell what she was doing – he'd seen in plenty of times before.

"Ash?" she asked softly, "Are you awake?"

He spent a moment debating whether to answer her before grunting indecisively – he sounded like he could be either. He heard her breath blow out slowly through her teeth, and then felt her lips press onto his cheekbone. He heard the bathroom door shut not long after, but Ash didn't move until he was sure she'd left the bedroom.

"Pika?" his partner squeaked, pawing his way up into Ash's chest. He was faking his sleep too – although he was just following his trainer, and he probably didn't know why. Ash reached down and pulled him closer to his chin to get a good look at his face.

"I just don't want her to worry, Pikachu," he told him. Pikachu's ears drooped, but he didn't ask any more questions. Ash wished he could better explain himself to Pikachu, but he didn't really know what was going on himself. Serena had brought Ash's sleeping habits up at dinner last night, going so far as to recommend he see a doctor. Ash had resolved to prove to her that he _did_ still sleep properly, and that there was nothing wrong with him. Something about the tone in her voice had made him feel a little guilty about everything, though he wasn't quite sure why.

"We've got a big day ahead of us, buddy." Ash absentmindedly petted the top of Pikachu's head, leaving the pokémon 'chaa'-ing in delight. "Sawyer promised us a battle today, and we're going to Lumiose Gym for dinner which means we can probably get a battle out of Bonnie too."

"Chu!"

"I know you've been dying to do something other than basic training, so I hope you'll enjoy today."

"Pikapi?

"No, I can't skip work. There's a meeting that I can't avoid. But we can meet Sawyer during lunch."

Pikachu tiled his head, and Ash stopped his ministrations and lifted his hands behind his head. "Go back to sleep, pal," he yawned, "It'll take me a while to get out of bed anyway."

…

"Dinner is served," Clembot's voice rang through the dining room, as he wheeled in with a dish resting on each of his eight arms.

"I don't remember this update," Serena commented, amused, as the robot set the table.

Clemont watched resignedly as Clembot placed a fresh warm plate in front of him. "I asked Bonnie if she needed me to do anything before I moved out, and she said she wanted me to update Clembot so he has multiple arms."

"He doesn't need to be gym leader anymore, so I use him as my personal cabana boy," Bonnie grinned. She paused, licking her lips. "Or cabana _girl_. I think I'd prefer one of those."

"It's _Clem_ -bot, so he's a boy."

"Aww, Clemont!"

Ash watched in complete awe as the machine started serving him his meal. "Serving dinner portions for – _beep, bee-beep_ – Ash Ketchum."

And he served exactly how much Ash usually ate in one serving.

 _Science is so amazing_ , Ash thought as he ignored his dinner for a moment to watch Clembot do the same for everyone else. He even had separate bags of food for all of the pokémon, who were sitting on top of the table between them.

"Mm," Serena squeaked, interrupting his observation, "Bonnie, this is really good! I guess cooking runs in the family!"

Ash quickly shoved a spoon full of onion soup into his mouth, and was surprised at how good it was. He'd never had any of Bonnie's cooking before, and as far as he was concerned, he didn't realise she cooked at all. Clemont only moved out of the gym two months ago, and every time he saw her she'd complain about how she was stuck with ready-made pasta and takeout. "She's right, Bonnie, I don't think I've ever had onion soup this good!"

"Aw shucks, you guys!" Bonnie chuckled, waving their praise away, "It was nothing."

"It was me," Clemont pointed out dryly, "I came early and made all of this."

"Ahh." Ash, Serena, _and_ all of the pokémon on the table nodded in understanding, and Bonnie's face went red.

"I helped, you know."

"With _what?_ "

"Well it's lovely either way," Serena announced, dissipating their squabble immediately. "I think you've really outdone yourself this time, Clemont."

"And Bonnie," Ash added, watching as the grumpy young blonde brightened up. From the corner of his eye he could see Serena smiling at him, but he chose to ignore it. "I'm guessing the poké food is –"

"Store-bought, but the gourmet kind." Clemont laughed. "I didn't want to leave the pokémon hanging, but I do have a full time job to take care of."

"Which makes you too busy to find a wife, apparently," Bonnie muttered under her breath, earning a scowl from Clemont.

Ash and Serena exchanged a look. It was a notion they'd been hearing more and more often lately; Bonnie had given up on trying to find a husband for Clemont during their initial journey over a decade ago, but she'd started bringing it up again. "Now that Clemont is thirty and doesn't seem to want to settle down at all!" Bonnie would cry indignantly.

The tension seemed to be a little fiercer than it used to be, too. Bonnie obviously wanted what was best for her brother, but Clemont seemed to have other ideas of what was best for him. He'd reconnected with Lilia, who offered him a top job at Orangics like she'd promised him many years ago. But she was also married to another man, which Bonnie found disappointing.

Ash thought it was strange that Bonnie was so persistent about Clemont's love life when she was so callous about her own, acting like a mini, smoother and more successful version of Brock, but Serena only said she was "compensating". Which, for all his years, Ash still couldn't begin to unravel.

"I mean," Bonnie continued, jabbing her fork in his direction, "Even _Ash_ managed to find a wife, with his schedule."

Ash sucked in his teeth as Clemont bit back, "They're not married yet."

"Oh yeah." Bonnie tapped her chin. "Hey, when is the wedding anyway?"

Serena swapped another look with him, but this time he was quick to look away.

"We haven't really set a date yet," Serena finally answered, and Ash downed the rest of his bowl of soup with a few gulps. He ignored Pikachu's concerned look from the corner of his eye. Even Bunnelby and Dedenne could tell that something was up and looked a little uncomfortable. (Pancham, on the other hand, was happily oblivious to everything around him.)

The resulting silence was broken by whirrs and clicks as Clembot rolled up to Ash's seat. "Ash Ketchum. Your bowl is empty. Have a second helping."

Everything was probably thankful for the interruption, because they all started talking again. About trivial things, mostly. Ash found it difficult to really get into the conversation, and he had the feeling things were a little awkward … but everyone else seemed fine. Serena looked like she was having a really good time, better than she'd had in a while, and even Bonnie and Clemont looked livelier than he normally saw them. Pikachu was having a great time with his old friends, and Bonnie _had_ promised them a battle after dinner, so Ash had a lot to look forward to.

He still felt out of place. And it wasn't even their fault…he just felt like he was the problem.

But he didn't know why. And just like with everything else, he felt terrible about it.

Serena, Clemont and Clembot stayed behind as Ash, Pikachu and Bonnie led the pokémon to the arena to prepare for their battle. Bonnie bragged for a while about how much better she'd gotten since the last time she'd battled Ash – around a year ago – and Ash jokingly replied that she could probably win. They went back and forth until everyone in the dining room was out of earshot, when Bonnie suddenly went silent.

"What's wrong?"

"How come you and Serena haven't set a wedding date?" she asked, her voice a little strained.

"Bonnie …"

"No, listen," she looked at him sharply, "It's been two years."

And so it had. After Ash had proposed, Serena had kept bugging him about a wedding date. At the time he was genuinely busy with the League coming up, but he ignored her attempts to bring it up more and more, and she began to talk about it less and less. The last time they'd even approached the topic of a wedding date had been a good six months ago.

The truth was, he hadn't really thought it through. He had assumed the engagement would bring some extra spark into his life that he'd been missing. Instead he felt trapped, and anxious about the future to come. Which was odd, because he knew Serena wouldn't intentionally do anything to suffocate him like that…but he felt that way nonetheless.

"Serena's been busy with her boutique. The business is still pretty volatile." He scratched at his chin, avoiding Bonnie's keen eye. "And you know how packed my schedule is…"

"I just find it hard to believe that you're _so_ busy that you can't even plan a small wedding. I'm guessing you guys would want a small one anyway, right?"

"…My publicist wants a big one."

Bonnie snorted. "Oh, is that what's stopping you?"

"Yeah!" Ash said quickly before she had any room for doubt, "That's right, I'm not comfortable with a big wedding with the press around."

He felt tiny claws dig slightly into his shoulder – of course Pikachu would know that Ash wasn't being entirely honest. He didn't even have to tell the pokémon anything.

"I don't understand why the League are so big on your public image." They arrived at the big metal doors that led to the arena, and Bonnie punched in an override code to let them all in. "You're the Champion! You even saved Kalos once. Surely that's enough of an image for them."

"I'm the face of the League, so I have to make it look good. And I have to stay in the news, too. It keeps people interested in competing if they still hear about me. Or something," Ash added under his breath. Truth be told, he didn't fully understand it himself. This wasn't what he pictured doing when he wanted to be a pokémon master.

Bonnie frowned. "Sounds boring."

"It can be."

"Is there anything about being Champion that you actually like?"

The question caught Ash completely off guard. He couldn't remember anyone ever asking him that – not in the way that Bonnie did anyway. It was usually a casual "so how does it feel to finally be a pokémon master?" or "how was work today?" but no one had ever forced him to think about what he actually liked about what he did.

He never even asked himself.

"Pika?"

His furry friend snapped him out of his daze, and he saw Bonnie looking at him oddly. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no." Ash shook his head. "Ah, I like it when I talk to the children at the trainer schools, and at the young trainers at the tournaments." Bonnie raised an eyebrow, and Ash rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry I spaced out. I was … thinking about my answer."

"You had to think about why you like being Champion…?" Bonnie asked just loud enough for Ash to hear, but he chose to ignore her. Instead, he strode over to where Hawlucha was flexing for a female member of Bonnie's team, and knelt down next to him.

"So, are we gonna battle or what?"

…

Ash didn't know how Misty had managed to get him to spill the entire history of his relationship to Serena with practically a glance, but she did.

"Let me get this straight," Misty said slowly, from behind her hands, "Serena kissed you the first time you left Kalos, and all you felt was confused."

"Right."

"And then when you came back to Kalos, you started travelling with her again."

"Yes."

"And everyone said you would be great together – by the way, who's 'everyone'?"

"Uh…" Ash listed the names as he counted them on his fingers, "Bonnie, Miette, Shauna, Alain, Mairin, Bonnie and Clemont's father, Diantha, Tierno –"

"Okay, I think I got it –"

"Sawyer, but that was weird because he had a whole double-sided page on it –"

"Ash, that's enough –"

"And this fortune teller in Coumarine City said we would definitely get married." He scrunched his brow. "And have four kids."

"…Right, anyway, everyone said you guys would be great together and you assumed they were right?"

"When you put it that way…"

"And when Serena kissed you again after you win the Kalos League, you thought it was weird?"

"…I thought it was nice too."

"But you thought it was weird."

"…Yeah."

"So you agreed to go out with her a week later."

"You don't know how I felt!" Ash took an angry bite out of his now lukewarm hash brown. "When you say it like that is sounds stupid –"

"It really does."

"But it was more complicated than that!" Ash continued, fiercely ignoring her interruption. "The paparazzi was all over that kiss, and everyone was talking about it and Serena looked so happy because I kind of kissed back –"

"Because you felt you had to, right?"

"Because it was _nice_ , and Bonnie finally yelled at me and told me Serena loved me and that she was going to ask me out and I should accept. So I did."

"But you said you never loved her?"

"I…" Ash coughed. "I thought I did. I wasn't a hundred percent sure, but I thought I might have."

"Fine," Misty sighed, "But if you weren't sure you loved her, then why did you ask her to marry you?!"

Ash ran a hand over his face, a little frustrated. "Because I … there was a slump. In our relationship, I mean. And I thought marriage would fix it."

Misty screwed her eyes shut for a second, before fixing him with a hard look. "That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard."

He shifted in his seat. "It seemed like a good idea at the time…"

"It seems like a good idea never."

"Okay," he groaned, "I guess it was pretty dumb."

"Yeah, and if even _you_ can see that it's dumb then it must be especially stupid. What even gave you the idea in the first place?!"

"My mom kept asking me when I was going to get married and I guess it got to me."

"Okay." Misty paused to rub her temples, slowly pressing circles into them. It was a habit she'd picked up after they'd stopped travelling together. He'd travelled with her the longest out of all his companions, which was probably why he was especially sensitive to all the new quirks she developed over time. This, he figured out, was something she did to calm herself down when she was especially frustrated. She might have been better at controlling her temper over the years, but that didn't mean she was any less angry.

(Ash realised this when he decided to send her a stress ball for her birthday once. It didn't end well.)

It was a whole minute before she spoke up again. "How did you let it get so far?"

Ash gulped. "I didn't want to hurt her."

"And look where that got you."

"I know." He tried to concentrate on his meal, but he could still feel her eyes boring into him – and he'd lost his appetite a while ago anyway. "I messed up."

Misty's expression softened immediately. "You meant well, but it isn't fair on her."

He knew that now, if he didn't before. He might've felt guilty from the start, but it was only now that he was beginning to pick apart why. He took a few more giant bites of his breakfast to finally finish it off. His head still hurt like a bitch, but he could think much clearer now.

"It's just like my father, isn't it?" he asked quietly, earning an alarmed look from his friend.

"What do you mean?"

"That's what he did to my mother. I didn't know if he loved her or anything, but…I didn't know if I loved Serena either. And I left too."

"So…you actually broke up with her? It's over?"

"…No…"

"Ash!"

He growled, "I'll tell her, okay? I only just started thinking about this. When I left I thought I just needed a short break, I didn't think I was going to break off my engagement!" He ran his hands through his hair. "I'm not going to be like my father."

Misty bit her lip, and Ash couldn't stand the sympathy in her eyes. He gathered up all of his plates and tried to carry them to the sink, but his muscles were still too sore for anything too strenuous. The mere act of standing up increased his headache tenfold. Misty scrambled out of her seat and grabbed the plates off of him.

"I'll take care of that. You want some coffee?"

He grunted a "yes". Most of the kitchen was behind him, so Ash couldn't watch as Misty rinsed the dishes, but he could hear her entering numbers into the microwave. "Don't burn my mother's house down. We only paid off the mortgage a few years ago."

"I'll have you know!" Misty screeched, and Ash didn't need to look to know she'd turned around to point an angry finger at him, "That I am very familiar with microwaves, thank you very much!"

Ash chuckled as she banged the shelves around a little louder than usual. He could practically hear her fuming as she waited for the timer to go off. Two minutes later, she had slammed his mug of java in front of him and shoved herself into her seat. He only smirked at her as she drank up, watching him warily from the rim of her cup. Carefully, she placed it back on the table and clasped her hands around it.

"Are you going to tell me why you disappeared on Serena for a year?"

That wiped the grin right off of his face.

…

"Dragonite, fire punch!"

"Spiral around the attack, Serperior, and don't let it hit you!"

Ash never took his eyes off the two pokémon as Serperior masterfully twisted around the great beam of fire and towards Iris' Dragonite. As soon as he noticed the attack weaken slightly, he called out, "Now use toxic!"

Serperior's attack was ready just as Dragonite's attack ended, and the grass snake hurled purple acid directly at the dragon-type's head. Ash watched Iris wince from across the field, and then meet his eye.

"Dragon claw, Dragonite."

Because Serperior was so close by, she was wide open for an attack from Dragonite – dragon claw sent her hurtling downwards. Ash grit his teeth as she hit the ground in a cloud of dust. She was already starting to lift herself off of the ground, but Ash knew she'd taken a hard hitting.

But then Ash noticed Dragonite's face grow purple, and his features twist uncomfortably. Toxic.

This match was far from over.

"Can you get up, Serperior?" Serperior nodded, levitating slowly into the air. "Then use leaf storm!"

"Fire punch, again!"

"Use leaf storm to hide yourself!"

Serperior's leaf storm was so potent, it was filling their entire half the field. Ash could hear the murmurs of the crowd and fought the urge to be smug about it. Serperior had known leaf storm since she was only a snivy, but it was only in the past few years that he'd worked with her to make the attack stronger. She didn't have a secondary typing that could offer her extra defences to types she was weak against, so he had to work on other ways she could defend herself. Her speed and power had really come to his advantage.

Dragonite was confused, and even Iris looked worried. Ash's half of the battleground was all leaves and wind, and Dragonite would only be aiming his flamethrower aimlessly into the storm. And he knew Iris was too smart to just walk face first into it.

"Hey, Serperior, remember what we practiced?"

She didn't show any sign of hearing him, but that was for the best. She would've given her location away if she did.

"See if you can fly above the storm, Dragonite."

Ash knew it wouldn't work, and from the look on her face he could tell Iris thought it was a longshot, too. Serperior's leaf storm was too thick, and it was heading closer and closer to Dragonite.

"Okay," Ash called, "Now!"

Suddenly all the leaves zipped towards Dragonite and hit him all at once. It had the force of a hydro pump, and it pushed the dragon a long way back. Both pokémon and trainer winced, and Dragonite was immediately hit with the white force of a hyper beam, sending him hurtling towards the walls surrounding the field. He twitched and turned even more purple, the effects of the toxic clearly worsened thanks to the massive attack he just suffered. It was a savage strategy that he hadn't used in a public battle before. Ash was pleased that it had worked against a competitor as tough as Dragonite.

The dragon-type wasn't moving, but the referee hadn't declared him unable to battle, so Ash waited. Slowly, Dragonite pushed himself away with his legs, wings flapping slowly to bring him back up into the air. Dragonite were never fast to begin with, but this guy was looking even slower than usual.

Ash expected Iris to be frustrated, but she was beaming. She caught his eye from across the field again, her eyes sparkling. He found himself smiling back.

This was the most fun he'd had in _ages_.

…

Ash could tell Cilan was resisting the urge to break into one of his _moods_. It could've been the hunched shoulders or the wobbling lip after he took his first bite into his burger – either way, he was trying very hard to be normal.

Iris was struggling, too. "These veggie patties are better than I expected," she said quietly, a slight strain on her voice. Serena giggled, dabbing the corner of her lip with a tissue.

"Just because the paparazzi are right outside this diner doesn't mean you can't enjoy your food."

"If I get too excited then Cilan will get too excited." Iris took another bite and continued, "And his dancing will end up on the internet again."

"Or maybe you talking with your mouth full will end up on the internet," Ash murmured.

"Don't be a baby," Iris scoffed, "As if you don't talk with your mouth full anymore."

"I don't! I haven't. In … a while." He nudged his fiancée. "Tell her, Serena."

Serena cleared her throat. "You know I don't like to lie, Ash."

Iris burst out laughing and even Cilan managed a smile. Ash grumbled under his breath – he didn't ask to be ganged up on.

Still, it was nice to see Iris and Cilan again. He was still getting used to the fact that they were together, in a romantic relationship – he hadn't realised _that_ was a thing – but he supposed they probably weren't used to seeing him in one either. It'd been a long time since they'd last seen each other – his engagement party, maybe – and now that Iris was Champion of Unova it was possible it would be a long time before they saw each other again. She and Cilan only had a day to catch up this time; who knew how long they'd have the next?

"Hey, how come the paparazzi watch you so much, anyway?" Iris asked between bites.

Ash shrugged. "I _am_ the Champion."

"Huh. I thought it all dies down after a year or so. How long have you been Champion again? Seven years?"

"Thereabouts."

Ash didn't miss Cilan's worried glance towards his girlfriend, or Iris scowling into her meal. He didn't blame them. Dealing with the press all the time sucked, and while he tried to keep some of his personal life private, there would always be moments that they felt justified to intrude on. Moments like this one.

Although he did understand, a little. Two of the greatest trainers in the world and their significant others were sitting together in a burger joint. That had to be front-page material at least.

"I didn't think you liked this sort of thing," Cilan commented.

"What sort of thing?"

"Being watched all the time."

"I don't. But it's just part of being the Champion, I guess."

"I understand," Iris hummed, placing a hand on Cilan's knee. "But putting up with this will be worth it in the end, right?"

"Yeah." Ash felt like his affirmation could have been a little more enthusiastic, but maybe they didn't notice. They didn't seem to show any sign they had.

"But being cooped up in one place has got to suck." Iris stretched her arms out in front of her stomach. "I'm already dreading not being able to travel to Johto every once in a while to visit Claire and all. You've got friends all over the place."

Ash groaned, "Don't remind me! I haven't been home in two whole years. The League just won't give me a break!"

"Well, when can you take one?"

Ash knew about his plans up until his exhibition match with Iris, and he had the press conference for his match after he picked his team up from the pokémon centre. Between now and preparations for Kalos League in two weeks, he had a few unimportant meetings to attend, and paperwork that he could easily complete long distance. "Now, I think."

"What?!" Iris stood out of her seat, ignoring Cilan's cries for her to sit back down. "Well then, what are you waiting for? Come back to Unova with us!"

"That's a great idea, actually!" Cilan snapped his fingers. "You do sound like you need a break."

It was definitely tempting – when would he get an opportunity like this again? There was nothing that required him to physically be there, so why wouldn't he?

"But how am I supposed to book a flight so quick–"

Iris rolled her eyes, "Trust you to not know how to use your brain, Ash. We came on a private plane. You and Serena can just join us."

Oh. Serena. He'd forgotten about her for a moment.

"I'm in a busy period at work, so I won't be able to make it."

Ash's heart sank, and Serena could probably see that reflect on his face because she placed her hand on his. "But you should go."

"What?" he asked, "Without you?"

"Cilan's right. You need this." She squeezed his hand. "Go visit your friends there, I'm sure you miss them. Get away from the press for a while."

Ash looked into her eyes, searching for any sign of joke or sarcasm or motive. There wasn't – there never would be, because Serena wasn't the type. She was always too good to be true.

He turned his hand around in hers and squeezed back. "Alright." He turned to meet Iris and Cilan's wide grins with his own. "I'm coming to Unova."


	3. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was supposed to finish this whole story before April 1st! I had some mad pacing issues with this chapter and the next and I had to rewrite and rearrange them several times, which is why it's so late. The 20th movie isn't out yet, so I'm going to take that to mean that I'm not too late to finish this. There are three pop culture references in this chapter, so kudos to anyone who can spot all three of them!
> 
> Shippings in this chapter is mainly just Wishfulshipping.

Ash held his hand up to the sun, squinting at the light that filtered through his fingers. It was late morning and it was the perfect temperature – warm enough that he didn't need a jacket, but not unbearably hot either.

"You ready for this, Pikachu?"

"Pika, pika!"

Ash laughed. "Why am I asking you anyway? You're just going to sit on my shoulder the whole time like a dead weight."

"Complaining again?" Iris teased. She was carrying no backpack, but she had changed into something more practical than the gowns she had taken to wearing in her public appearances. "You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

"No way." Ash shook his head. "I haven't travelled anywhere on foot in years. Me and Pikachu missed this."

"It's silly that the Kalos League doesn't let you travel anywhere. Outside League business and family time, I mean. I'm glad the Unova region does."

Ash grinned, "Remember how many times we ran into Alder when we were traveling? I don't think he ever went back to Vertress except for the conference."

Iris giggled. "Remember when he kept calling you Ashton?"

Ash laughed heartily, as did Pikachu, both losing themselves in the memory.

"He called you Ashton in a recent interview, actually," Cilan commented, finally stepping outdoors with them. He was carrying a large rucksack, no doubt packed with all of Iris' things. "Everyone was really confused."

Ash rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll bet. I have no idea why he still thinks that's my name."

"He's a little odd, so no one took him seriously."

"He might be odd," Iris said, stretching out her arms, "But I'm grateful to him. He set a precedent for Champions doing their own thing around here. I still want to be more involved with the League than he was, but Haxorus would be bored to bits if we were stuck in the same training room all day."

Ash's stomach twisted uncomfortably. He gave a very sorry glance to Pikachu, who cooed and nuzzled his cheek.

"Well!" Cilan breathed deeply, raising his hands to the air as if he was about to lift off. "The three of us on the road! I didn't think we'd get another opportunity to do this."

"It'll be awesome," Ash agreed, a twinkle in his eye. "Although I know not having me around has been great for the two of you."

Cilan flushed immediately, and Iris sighed. "Look, Cilan. He's learning."

"I almost wish he didn't," Cilan muttered.

Ash chuckled, Pikachu and Iris joining in. It wasn't quite exactly like old times; Ash still wasn't used to almost being as tall as Cilan, and being nearly a foot taller than Iris. Cilan had rolled up his sleeves, possibly in anticipation for the heat, and swapped his old grey waistcoat for a brown one. Instead of a forest of hair, Iris sported two long braids, which she pinned to her head like that actress in that space movie. (Ash decided not to bring it up because he was sure Cilan had seen it, and he didn't want to get him started.) She hadn't kept Axew in her hair for years now, considering he was a haxorus and far too large to be travelling outside of his ball, but it was still disconcerting to see her hair so tidy.

But even being around them was comforting, and all of the friends he visited during his short stay in the region. It was familiar; it took him back to a time when he was really, truly enjoying himself.

"Well, we better get going, right?" Ash placed his hands on his hips. Pikachu mirrored his actions on his shoulder. "Or else we won't make it to Opelucid City in time for my flight."

Iris reached over and flicked Ash's nose, causing him to gasp in pain. "You think you're in charge? Cilan, isn't that adorable?"

"I wish I'd never introduced you to Misty," Ash grumbled, "Cilan, tell your girlfriend to stop bullying me."

"Partner."

"Sorry, _partner_." Ash scoffed and looked behind him, only to find no one standing where Cilan had been before. "Cilan?"

"There he goes," Iris groaned, slapping a palm to her head. Ash looked the other way to see the green-haired man running down the road.

"I forgot!" Cilan yelled back at them, "Check-in for our hotel closes at six and we simply must get to our room before the connoisseur convention! I won't be walking in covered in sweat!"

"I'm going to pretend I don't know him."

"Good luck trying to convince the media of that," Ash pointed out.

"Then I'll just pretend I don't exist at all."

…

When Cilan began to climb a tree in order to sleep next to Iris, Ash decided that it wasn't quite just like old times after all.

They'd only travelled for a total of a day, but he was already starting to feel like the third wheel. Even though he'd always lead the way, much like he used to when they were younger, he was vaguely aware of Iris and Cilan behind him being…a couple. They weren't even doing anything explicitly romantic, he could just feel the romance emanating from them. He couldn't possible miss the gooey-eyed looks they'd share, or the brushing of their hands as they walked next to each other. It was all stuff that Serena had tried time and time again on him. He barely understood it in his own relationship, and now he had to play hanger-on to whatever they were doing.

At least he still had Pikachu.

"How'd you guys get together anyway?" Ash asked at the tree, knowing they were in earshot. "You weren't together the last time I met you."

There was no answer at first. Ash heard the rustling of leaves and hoped that only meant they were just adjusting themselves, and not doing anything uncalled for.

Cilan finally cleared his throat. "At your engagement party?"

"Yes."

"We, ah…we actually were."

Ash blinked, and Pikachu perked his nose. This was news to the both of them.

"We've been on and off for several years," Iris explained. "The long distance made it hard."

"I decided to travel on my own, and Iris was still in Blackthorn City…"

"And sometimes I'd go through intensive training where I couldn't talk to anyone outside of the Dragon Holy Land for weeks."

"And when I got back to Unova, it was all research papers and academic work to become an S-Class connoisseur."

"We tried dating for a while, but we were just too busy I guess."

"We called it off…officially."

Iris giggled, and Ash narrowed his eyes. He decided not to dwell on the implications, and scratched the top of Pikachu's head, getting appreciative noises from the mouse. "So what made you two get back together?"

Iris poked her head through a patch of leaves. "Why do you want to know?"

Ash stumbled. "Just – you guys are my friends, and this is –"

"Weird? Awkward?" Iris snorted, "Yeah, I felt the same way at your engagement party."

"Iris," Cilan hissed.

Ash sat up in his seat, immediately stopping his ministrations. He didn't notice Pikachu looking up at him in confusion. "What about my engagement party?"

He didn't get a direct answer. There was some inaudible mumbling coming from the tree. "What was wrong with my engagement party?"

"Nothing was wrong, Ash," Cilan called down, and then grunted as the leaves started to rustle again and the branches started to creak, and Iris jumped down from her perch.

"Yeah, nothing was wrong, it was just weird," Iris leaned back against the trunk as Cilan's foot could be seen searching around for a branch to rest on. "Seeing _you_ almost married, of all people. And before us!"

Ash frowned. "I think I'm a little more mature than I used to be when we were travelling together."

"Maybe I just have a hard time accepting that you're not a little kid anymore, but I don't know." Iris huffed, "And especially with someone like Serena!"

"Wha– what's wrong with Serena?"

"Nothing! Like I said, it's not wrong, it's just weird. I'd never have guessed she was your type."

"My type?"

"Iris," Cilan warned, finally making his way onto the ground. "I never thought I'd fall in love with someone like you either. We're very different too."

"Well, sure," Iris said, although a little disgruntled. "I'm not saying it's _wrong_."

"Ash." Cilan dusted himself off. "It's weird for both of us because it feels like it happened so fast. We didn't get to watch you grow. But," he placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled warmly at him, "We're really happy that you've found someone to spend the rest of your life with."

Ash sucked on his teeth. "Um, thanks."

"And we're really proud of how far you've come. And what you've achieved."

"We always knew you could do it," Iris grinned.

Ash grinned back, but he was aware that it didn't quite reach his eyes. Instead of putting his mind to rest, their statements only raised a lot more questions that he wasn't sure how to address.

"Are you guys happy?" was what he finally settled on, and he earned puzzled looks from the both of them.

"What do you mean?" Cilan asked.

"With life. Where you are, and all that."

"Hell yeah!" iris laughed, "I'm the Champion of Unova, what more could I want?"

"I've wanted to be an S-class connoisseur all my life, Ash. You know that."

Ash bit his lip. He felt Pikachu place a paw on his ears, and looked into his eyes to find something like sadness? Pity? Whatever it was, Ash didn't want to see it anymore. He rubbed the critter's ears for a moment to comfort him.

Cilan crouched down so he was in Ash's line of view. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason." Ash gave them another smile, making sure it was a little wider this time. And for extra measure he added, "I'm proud of you guys too."

The truth part must cancel out the lie.

…

"Clearly this is more complicated than just Serena," Misty mused.

Ash rolled his eyes. Because of course, when he talked to her he had to tell her _everything._ It's a good think his drunk self was sensible enough not to spill in front of Gary, because Gary wouldn't given him hell for it. He felt bad enough dumping things on Misty; he would stop if she didn't keep insisting.

"Pikachupi!" A flash of yellow appeared on the table and jumped into the giggling redhead's arms. Ash watched, heart soaring, as both Misty and Pikachu clung to each other. The little guy probably missed Misty just as much as he did – he hadn't looked this happy to see anyone so far.

Misty placed a soft kiss near Pikachu's ear. "I missed you too, Pika-pal." She quirked an eyebrow at Ash, "Where have you been hiding him all this time?"

"All Pikachu's done for the past two days is sleep," Ash complained, "He's let himself go."

" _He_ let himself go?"

"Pikachu!"

"Okay, okay! I let him slack off."

Pikachu harrumphed, and scurried his way onto Misty's shoulder. She nuzzled his cheek and turned her attention back to Ash.

"Why didn't you tell them anything?"

Ash could tell she was trying hard to look nonchalant – her forehead was creased in a way it shouldn't have been, and her lips were puckered in that way they were when she grit her teeth too hard.

"I didn't want to seem ungrateful," Ash replied quietly. Pikachu made his way off of Misty's shoulder and sat down in front of Ash, putting a paw on his hand. Ash smiled at the pokémon thankfully and scratched him under the chin.

"You're allowed to not enjoy your job, no matter how good it is. And Ash," she called, forcing him to look up and meet her eyes, "If I can be honest? You seem really unhappy with where you're at right now."

"Hm." She was right, as usual. But he still felt sick to the stomach for other reasons he wasn't sure how to bring up yet.

"And you seem like you have a pretty good reason to be unhappy, too."

"I couldn't tell them anyway." Ash shifted underneath Misty's questioning gaze. "Especially to Iris. I didn't want to dishearten her from her role."

Misty frowned. "That's…a valid argument, I suppose."

Ash had noticed for a while that at that part of the morning, the sun shining through the window was positioned right behind Misty and made her look like she was glowing. He could have stared at her forever if she hadn't opened her mouth again. "Disheartened, that's a big word."

Ash sighed. "Very funny."

Misty giggled cheerily, and a disgruntled Ash noted Pikachu happily skipping back to his spot on her shoulder. "Okay, so what next?"

…

" _And Randall is down to his last pokémon! It looks like this might be it for the challenger, folks!"_

League battles were normally exciting, but now that Randall had made it to the Elite Four, he had a lot to look forward to. He remembered the boy from way back during his first journey in Kalos, and Randall had come a far since then. Ash thought he might actually meet him in a championship battle.

But a couple of key mistakes were costing Randall his match against Wikstrom. The steel-type Elite Four still had four pokémon remaining to Randall's one. And knowing that the last member of the challenger's team was a sylveon, it would be near impossible for him to turn things around.

" _Elite Four Wikstrom has chosen to withdraw his scizor and send out Klekfi! The challenger has sent out his last pokémon, a sylveon!"_

Ash could see the uncertainty in Randall's demeanour. And so could the rest of his elite four.

"Tough," Malva commented, and Siebold nodded in agreement.

It was, and it showed – Randall was defeated quickly. Sylveon tried to hold its own for a while, but it just wasn't working out for either of them.

"I was really rooting for this one too," Drasna sighed, "He seems like such a sweetheart."

Ash clenched his fist and rose from his seat, letting Pikachu jump onto his arm.

"Ash?" Siebold asked.

"I'm just heading out for a while," he explained.

"Where?"

"Everyone will notice," Malva pointed out.

"Then let them," he grunted, leaving the League box.

He nodded at the guards stationed outside the doorway and made his way through the various passageways of the stadium. Unlike other leagues, the Kalos League was held in a different place every year. He never got the opportunity to learn his way around every time, but luckily this year he had access to a map of all the hidden passageways that the security used to get around the place.

Because he was oh so good at reading a map.

His holo caster beeped in his jeans pocket, and he checked it out to find a text message from Bonnie.

'They showed you running out on the big screen,' it said, along with an assortment of confused emojis. He winced.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked, tugging at his collar.

"I'm alright, buddy. I just needed to stretch my legs. Wanna go visit Randall?"

Pikachu nodded, and together they began the search for the challenger's waiting room. Ash had enough sense to know it would be opposite to the league side of the stadium, so he made his way straight to the other side. It didn't take long to find the place, and he snuck inside before anyone could notice him. Randall had just finished his interview and walked in right as Ash did.

"Randall, hey!" he waved, brushing off the boy's shocked expression, and gave Pikachu the opportunity to greet him too. "Just wanted to see how you were holding up.

The teen took a dejected seat next to Ash. "I sucked."

"I wouldn't really say _sucked_ …"

"I screwed up big time. I made some serious mistakes." He sighed. "I thought since I won the conference, it'd be easy pickings until I had to battle you."

Ash grinned wryly. "Yeah, it's easy to get cocky."

That didn't seem to reassure Randall. He only slumped dejectedly, his lower lip sticking out as he glared at the floor. "I guess I have a lot of improving to do, huh?"

"We all do," Ash murmured. "Even me. And definitely Pikachu." The mouse glared at him, and Ash passed him an affectionate smile. "It doesn't matter if you lose, or if you've already made it to the top, you still can't…stop there…"

Sure, Ash had started pulling his spiel right out of his ass, but he realised he might be onto something. It wasn't that he'd stopped training his pokémon – he owed it to them to continue – but they hadn't been presented with a challenge in years. Sometimes there would be a good exhibition match, but none of the conference winners had made it far enough for Ash to have a battle he could really sink his teeth into.

"Hey, Ash?" Randall said, waving his hand in front of Ash's eyes, "You zoned out."

"Sorry," he breathed. He clecked his hands resting on his knees and turned to the boy with a new zeal. "Say, did you ever go any place during your journey that you'll never forget?"

Randall furrowed his brow. "Everywhere, I guess."

"Yeah, but anywhere in particular? Got a recommendation?"

"Uh…well I was just at the Sinnoh Battle Zone. I didn't win anything, but it was pretty cool."

"Of course." Ash rose from his seat. Pikachu, who had been sitting next to him, jumped back onto his arm. The pokémon couldn't possibly know what Ash was thinking, but he could always sense it because he looked excited too. "Remember it, okay? Never forget how much fun it was. Your journey will always be the best part of being a trainer. I gotta go now, Professor Sycamore will kill me! Good luck with everything!"

"Ash, wait –"

Ash was already down the corridor before Randall could finish his sentence. He felt a little bad for leaving the young trainer confused, and without real answers, but when Ash was feeling an impulse he couldn't deny. Pikachu was clinging onto his shoulder for deal life, protesting at Ash's speed.

"I know you're confused, pal, but I just thought of something! Do you remember how much fun we had travelling around with Iris and Cilan?"

"Chuuuuu!"

Ash wasn't sure if that was Pikachu agreeing with him or squealing at how fast Ash was running, but he decided it didn't matter. "That's what we've been missing, Pikachu. A journey. You want to travel again, don't you?"

"Pikachu!"

That was definitely an approval. Ash grinned. He slowed to a stroll when he noticed that he was nearing the champion's box, and that a crowd had gathered around. Professor Sycamore, who was now the League's key organiser, looked stressed and confused, and Ash's manager Trevor was red in the face. Even Serena, Clemont and Bonnie had showed up, but thankfully no press. His fiancée spotted him turn the corner before anyone else did and she opened her mouth to speak, but Ash raised a finger to his lips, beckoning her to come closer. She frowned, tugging at Bonnie's sleeve and pulling the siblings along with her.

"Where did you go?" she whispered, "Trevor's been losing his mind."

"And you didn't respond to my texts," Bonnie pouted.

"I went to see how Randall was doing."

"You could've just said –"

"That's not important. I just figured out something big." He turned to his partner, eyes shining. "Serena, you know how I haven't been sleeping, right?"

Clemont, who previously looked interested at the prospect of Ash having 'figured out something big', now looked concerned. "You haven't been sleeping?"

"Yeah, but I think I know why!"

" _You_ haven't been sleeping?" Bonnie repeated.

"So why is it?" Serena asked, not bothering to elaborate on Ash's latest nightly habits.

"I'm bored!" Ash announced, as if this made all the sense in the world. When he noticed their confused expressions, he continued, "I haven't been out of Kalos in ages, except for a few days here and there. When I was in Unova in Iris and Cilan, we got to travel for a bit – by foot, just like we used to – and I remembered how much fun it was. I forgot all about that!"

Apparently this wasn't the explanation they were expecting, because they all looked a little shocked. In Serena's case, she even looked a little hurt.

"So you're saying…you're bored here?"

Ash's eyes widened. "What? No! I love it here!" Some small part of his brain reminded him that he wasn't being all too honest, but Ash ignored it. "I've just…I've been doing the same thing over and over for years. I think I just need some time off, and not just for a week. I want to see a new place, battle new people! You guys remember how it is, right?"

They exchanged glances for long enough that Ash was almost convinced they thought he was crazy. Everything made much more sense in his head! Pikachu looked just as determined as he felt on his shoulder, so at least he understood.

But then Clemont broke out into a smile. "Those were great times we had."

"The best," Bonnie sighed.

They turned to Serena, who had bit her lip. "Yeah, you're right." Again, that small part of his brain told him Serena didn't seem as enthusiastic as the others, but he didn't let that get him down. "But how long were you planning on being gone?"

"A few months, tops. It's nothing! I kept in touch with you guys after I left Kalos too, remember?"

Bonnie snorted. "Barely."

"So you're used to it." Ash smirked. "It's only temporary. I'll be back before you know it."

Clemont adjusted his glasses. "Well it's not up to us, but I think it's a good idea." They all turned to Serena, who was tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You have to call me every time you get to a pokémon centre, or a new place."

Ash let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Of course."

"And take your holo caster with you."

"Wasn't planning on leaving it behind. And Pikachu will make sure I'm safe, right?"

"Pikachu!"

"Pikachu's just as reckless as you are," Serena muttered.

He squeezed her shoulder and pushed past the three of them. "Thanks guys, now I gotta go tell Professor Sycamore!"

…

Ash had barely arrived in the resort area of Sinnoh's Battle Zone when the ground shook beneath his feet. From the looks of the people gathered around, it couldn't have been the first tremor they'd experienced.

"What do you think that's about, Pikachu?"

Pikachu pointed to the great wall of smoke rising from what he could only assume to be Stark Mountain looming over the town. Ash was under the impression that it was a dormant volcano, so it couldn't cause tremors…right?

"Clemont would know what's going on," Ash muttered under his breath.

"Or ye could just ask a local," a voice said behind him, causing Ash and Pikachu to jump and spin right around. "These tremors 'ere would be caused by Stark Mountain up there, yer Pikachu's right."

It was a tall bearded man, wearing a trench coat too thick for early spring. His accent seemed very contrived – unable to place and too thick to be true. There was something about him that screamed trouble, and Ash was unable to ignore it – even if he wasn't sure just what kind of trouble it was.

"Er, thanks," Ash nodded and turned to be on his way, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Y'know, if I was you, I'd be headin' up that-a-way before the fight area."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "How did you know I was going to the fight area?"

"Well, aren't you the Champion of Kalos?"

Ash shared an embarrassed look with Pikachu. "Yeah…"

"So I assume ye won't be takin' part in any o' the contests around here." The man scratched his chin. "But just because yer a Chapmion don't mean Palmer'll be that easy to beat. Even Cynthia has trouble with 'im once in a while. Stark Mountain happens to be a great place ta train up."

Ash swore he saw a few crumbs fall out of the man's beard as he scratched it. His instincts were telling him not to trust this man, but he did have a point. Ash had battled Palmer himself when he was in Sinnoh, and he knew it wouldn't be easy.

But he still had his reservations. "Are you sure Stark Mountain's even safe right now? What about that –"

"Giant tower o' smoke?" The man shook his head, "Y'always see that comin' outta Stark Mountain. The tremors are a little weird, but it ain't erupted yet. I wouldn't worry about it if I was you, kiddo."

It didn't sound very reassuring.

"What do you think, Pikachu?" he asked. Pikachu looked just as uncertain as he felt, but he nodded slowly.

"I'll let you to decide for yerselves," the stranger nodded, pulling his coat tighter over his shoulders, "But you'll see I'm right."

Ash and Pikachu watched through narrowed eyes as he walked away, disappearing into an alleyway between two nearby buildings.

"Strange," he murmured. He turned to look back at Stark Mountain, the plumes looking a lot blacker than you would expect from your regular cloud of ash. "But maybe it'll be worth a shot."

…

When Ash saw the Team Rocket grunts hanging around the pokémon centre in the survival area, he started to feel like he'd been set up.

"I know there was something weird about that guy," he grumbled under his breath.

"Chu," Pikachu agreed.

"You could tell, couldn't you? It wasn't just me."

"Pika-pika."

"I bet he was part of Team Rocket too. Probably sending us straight into a trap."

He was curious though – what was Team Rocket doing in Sinnoh? Apart from Jessie, James and Meowth, and one stint in Unova, he hadn't seen them anywhere. They tended to stick to Kanto and Johto as far as he was aware.

He wasn't even sure the aforementioned trio were still a part of Team Rocket. They hadn't followed him around in years. It probably got too boring for them when he started staying in the one city.

Which he could understand. He only hoped they were happy doing whatever they were.

Deciding he should scope the area out, he strode towards the door of the pokémon centre and headed in. He noticed many Rocket eyes on him, and he suddenly wished he had a hat that he could hide under. As expected, inside the pokémon centre, an additional two grunts were threatening Nurse Joy. So Ash acted without thinking.

"Hey!" he barked, "Leave Nurse Joy alone!"

Pikachu jumped off of his shoulder, cheeks sparking and ready to go. The grunts turned to face them, their eyes flicking between Ash, his partner and each other.

"Kenan," one of the grunts hissed in a very loud whisper, "That guy's the Kalos Champion!"

"I can see that," Kenan the grunt muttered back.

The grunt's eyes flit between his partner and Ash. Ash almost felt sorry for the guy when he straightened up – he was clearly nervous. "Uh, we're not up to anything weird. We're just getting potions and stuff."

"Kel!" Kenan groaned.

"What?"

"Shut up!" He pulled a poké ball off of his belt. "Let's take him out ourselves before one of the other grunts does! Then maybe we'll get promoted!"

_Finally_ , Ash thought, breathing a sigh of relief. Their exchange was all too familiar, so Ash felt a little odd interrupting them before they were finished. But now they were aggravating a battle, so he didn't have to hold back.

"Alright Pikachu, use –"

"Ash, m'boy!"

Ash turned to see the same man he'd run into in the resort area walking towards him. "What? How are you –"

The man strolled over casually, wearing a wide smile as if he hadn't interrupted anything serious, and threw an arm over Ash's shoulder. "It's so nice of you to come all the way out 'ere to see yer poor uncle!"

"What?"

"Just go with it," he hissed in Ash's ear in a very different voice and a very different accent. Ash's eyes widened, and darted towards Pikachu. The mouse had lost his fighting stance and looked just as unsure as he was.

"D-don't mention it," Ash finally managed, eyes darting between Pikachu, the two grunts, and the old man. "It's good to see you again, Uncle…Grey-Beard."

If Ash hadn't been watching him at the moment, he would've missed the man's eye twitch slightly. "Let's head on over ta my jeep so I can drive ya to my cabin that's very far away from 'ere!"

"Righto!" Ash laughed nervously. He held his arm out for his pokémon to jump on. Their captive pulled them out of the centre and into the passenger seat of a jeep, and Ash chose not to struggle – something about the urgency in the man's face told him to avoid making a fuss.

Besides, he looked pretty frail and Ash could probably fight his way out of trouble if he needed to.

It wasn't until they were well on the road that Ash decided to speak up again. "What was that all about?"

"You're smart, Ash," the man replied, in that normal voice of his that Ash now realised was somewhat familiar. He'd definitely met this guy before, and more than once. "I'm sure you can figure something out."

"You're in disguise," Ash stated, and the man nodded.

"That's obvious."

"Chu-pikachu," Pikachu pointed out, reaching over and tuggling gently at the man's beard, enough to reveal that it was fake.

"Looker?"

"Wonderful!" Looker grinned, "You remember me! I was wondering if you would. You have met a lot of people on your travels after all."

"Why'd you pull me away from Team Rocket? They were threatening Nurse Joy!"

"Hardly," Looker snorted. "The Joys in these parts are tougher than they look. She could handle herself if things went sour, and those two were hardly a threat. Besides, she's in on my mission – which _you_ nearly interrupted."

"Mission?"

"International Police, remember?"

"I know that, but what kind of mission?"

Ash couldn't tell Looker's expression under all of that hair, but the silence was enough to know that the agent wasn't going to give him any immediate answers. "I'm not sure it's my jurisdiction to tell you."

Ash rolled his eyes. "How is it you could trust me with classified information when I was fourteen but not now?"

"Because this particular mission isn't just an International Police matter."

"Who else is in on it then?" The G-Men?"

"The Sinnoh League."

Ash blinked. How could a league be involved in espionage. Or at least he assumed it was espionage. Either way, it was reasonable to assume that they were trying to take down Team Rocket since he ran into those grunts, and he never knew a pokémon league could be involved in that sort of thing.

"Ah yes," Looker mused, "They don't do that in the Kalos League, do they? You don't generally get involved in regional crime and justice and such."

"It used to be like that ages ago." Pikachu crawled into Ash's lap, and he began to pet the mouse absentmindedly. "And Diantha helped out with Team Flare."

"But now that Greninja of yours has everything covered."

Ash pursed his lips. "We don't have a lot of major crime in Kalos. It's very peaceful."

"Funny, I thought you being a Champion there would change that."

Ash glanced at Looker from the corner of his eye, which the officer apparently noticed because he added, "Not because of how you do you job! It's just that trouble has a knack for following you around. I don't remember many other trainers I've run into more than once, let alone worked with."

Ash didn't have much to say to that. He always attributed the peace to Team Rocket having stopped following him around. He didn't think too much on it either – his journey was over, so he didn't have a lot of opportunities to get into trouble after settling down.

The fact that he managed to get involved in something new almost the minute he started another journey confirmed this much.

"Where are you taking me?"

"To our base."

Ash's eyes widened. He thought Looker would just drop him elsewhere, away from whatever they were doing. He wanted to get involved, of course, but Looker hadn't been forthcoming enough to justify any hope.

The agent chuckled. "C'mon Ash, I practically led you here! I knew this was something you'd want to get involved with, and frankly, we need the extra help."

"So you tricked me?!"

"Of course not! I'm only introducing you to a new possibility. I have a feeling Team Rocket was going to spread out to the rest of the Battle Zone soon enough, so you would have known about it anyway. And you'd more than likely do something reckless. It'll be safer for both of us if we just brought you on the mission."

"You can't just assume –"

"Here we are!" The jeep had arrived before what looked like the slope of a mountain, but as they drove closer, a section of the slope opened to reveal a cave.

Which, admittedly, looked pretty cool.

Looker, Ash and Pikachu got out of the vehicle and made their way through a complicated series of tunnels, all artificially lit and well equipped just like a secret base from the movies would be. Looker kept speaking into a small device until they arrived in a large room, with large screens and people bustling around.

"Am I supposed to be in here?" Ash whispered to Looker.

"Hey, Cynthia!" Looker called, and Ash finally noticed the presence of the Sinnoh Champion at the head of a table in the middle of the room. And she didn't look pleased.

"Ash Ketchum? What are you doing here?" She turned to Looker. "What is he doing here?"

Looker rubbed the back of his neck. "I told you I'd bring you a great trainer, didn't I?"

"Yes, but I assumed you'd find someone heading towards the fight area!"

"I was heading to the fight area." Cynthia turned her glare at Ash, and he flinched. "Uh, I took a sabbatical from the Kalos League."

Cynthia's face relaxed, and she looked much more like the person Ash was used to dealing with. "Well in that case, we could use some help."

Ash crossed his arms. "I don't know how much I can help if I don't know what this mission is about."

Looker and Cynthia swapped a look before the woman nodded to the table, bringing them over. "Team Rocket has set up a base in Stark Mountain, and we think they're responsible for the increased volcanic activity there. They don't know we're watching. They also don't think anyone knows they're there."

"They do now," Looker snorted.

Ash let out a singular, almost hysterical laugh, and immediately regretted it. "Sorry."

"Chu," Pikachu agreed.

Cynthia narrowed her eyes. "But you didn't blow our cover?"

"Nope, took care of that!" Looker snapped his fingers. "They still don't know we've been monitoring them."

"Good." She tapped at her chin. "But this might mean we need to move things forward a little faster."

"If you already know about Team Rocket's base then why don't you just stop them?" Ash asked.

"We think it's a lot bigger than just a base. We think they're mining for something – or searching. We don't have the details."

"If they're searching, it could be for a Magma Stone," Looker added, "But whatever it is, they're not intent on being found. So they won't be pleased to know you've seen them. You would have had to keep a low profile until we shut them down."

Cynthia nodded. "And we don't know how long this will take."

Looker was right. Ash might've been tricked, but he'd been tricked into the right hands – he had already been ready to take on those grunts by himself, as well as any backup around the pokémon centre, and that would've put a giant target on his back. He was too famous to just leave the Battle Zone; he'd have to go into hiding.

But he still did have to get back to Kalos in time.

Finally it came down to Pikachu, but one look told him they were both already on the same page. "My hiatus lasts two months," Ash finally said.

Cynthia smiled gratefully. "We'll see what we can do."

**Author's Note:**

> I want it to be clear that there will be no Serena bashing in this fic at all! And I also want to stress that I actually know nothing about the Kardashians. I unfollowed Buzzfeed on Facebook right before that Taylor Swift debacle and I don't want anything more to do with them ;)


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